


Observations

by nerdwrite



Category: Psychonauts (2005), Psychonauts (Video Games)
Genre: F/M, Friendship, Gen, Romance
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-12-10
Updated: 2019-02-27
Packaged: 2019-09-15 13:04:09
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 1,912
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16933746
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nerdwrite/pseuds/nerdwrite
Summary: A series of drabbles centering around Chloe Barge and the strange beings she meets on planet Earth.





	1. Strange Growth

**Author's Note:**

> Based on a prompt for Fictober: "Can you feel this?" Short and sweet.

“Can you feel this?” Chloe asked, running her fingers through Bobby’s tangled nest of hair. He seemed to freeze as she did so, staring at her with wide eyes. She found it an interesting reaction, but she stopped.

“Does it hurt?” She tilted her head inquisitively. “The tumor, I mean.” Bobby said nothing and kept staring. His face started to turn a strange hue of red. He looked confused, clenching and unclenching his hands. Chloe wondered if she'd aggravated a nerve in the giant orange blob.

“What?” Bobby finally croaked. She shook her head.

“Perhaps it is benign.” This did not seem to comfort him. He was beginning to perspire. Confusion made his thick brows come together, wrinkling his forehead. 

She looked down at her hands, perplexed. The residue she had gathered from whatever growth was on his head seemed rather foul. It was slippery between her fingers. She settled for wiping her hands on her shorts for now.

Hopefully she wouldn't contract any extraterrestrial disease. She figured being an alien herself she would have some immunity.

“Tumor?” Bobby said thickly, like the shape of the word was foreign to his tongue. She pointed to his head.

“Yes, this mass you have. It does not look normal.”

“That's m’ hair,” he said quietly.


	2. Sorry

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby messes up.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fictober prompt: "Take what you need."

The next letter that came in the mail had timid scrawls from Bobby. He said he couldn't accept her money, that she shouldn't have sent it. Chloe frowned at this.

 

She'd slipped twenty dollars, in the form of two ten dollar bills, into the envelope, and told him, “Take what you need.” It wasn't much, but she wanted to help. She thought he could use it.

 

A couple weeks later, another letter came. Bobby said he'd spent the money on something stupid. Wasted it.

 

_ I'm sorry, Chloe. I'm really sorry. I love you... _

 

She couldn't be mad. An impulsive creature, he was. She just shook her head.

 

_ It's okay. Don't worry about it. I forgive you. _

 

She paused and rolled the pen between her fingers for a moment.

 

_...If it made you happy, that's all that matters. _

 

_ I love you, too _


	3. Ennui

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vernon can't keep his mouth shut.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fictober prompt: "People like you have no imagination."

The fire in the pit crackled quietly, an old scrap of wood breaking under the heat. Little sparks drifted into the air. Vernon followed them as they went up, transfixed. Chloe kicked her legs idly from where she sat on the log. Everyone else had (wisely) already left for bed. She'd lagged behind, feeling oddly lethargic. 

 

Usually staying up late was no problem for her. It felt more natural than being awake during the day. She wondered if that was also part of her alien rhythm differing from that of humans, if perhaps her home species were partially nocturnal. She puzzled over this for a moment, hand to her chin, before Vernon brought her out of her thoughts.

 

“Y’know, Chloe,” he began. “One time I saw a spaceship rush over my head back home. It was really, really big, and super fast. It had these little decals on them, like swooshes. It kept making this really loud sound, like a siren and--”

 

“I have never heard of any such markings,” she interjected. Vernon blinked, looking stunned for a moment. He cleared his throat and continued on.

 

“Anyway, I swear, I heard a voice from it that said ‘You're next!’” He pointed at Chloe with his finger. She raised an eyebrow. “I haven't seen them again to this day, but sometimes I think I hear them outside my window. Humming. Waiting.” He wiggled his fingers, the fire casting a stark shadow on his face. “How about that, huh? Spooky.” Clearly he was looking to impress her, but his knowledge was lacking. And clearly, this account was false.

 

“Such sounds are unheard of. It was most likely a hoax.”

 

“No, it wasn't, I swear,” he insisted.

 

“It happens all the time, false sightings. I don't blame your untrained eye. You're a mere earthling.It was some kind of human toy let loose.”

 

Vernon frowned. She waved her hand dismissively. They sat in silence for a while. She could feel his gaze boring into her. Crickets chirped and cicadas screeched in the background. The dull cacophony made Chloe’s head start to nod. It was lulling her to sleep.

 

“People like you have no imagination,” Vernon said suddenly, folding his arms in a huff. Chloe blinked. A corner of her mouth twitched down. She kept her hands folded on her lap.

 

“I have plenty of imagination,” she stated firmly. “I just know a fake when I hear of one.” Vernon’s frown deepened. He slowly got up from his seat, arms still folded.

 

“Well,  _ Ms. I Know Everything _ , I'm going to bed.” She watched him swing his legs one in front of the other as he headed toward the kids’ cabins. His little frame soon became obscured by the darkened path. 

 

She looked back to the fire and sighed.

 

_ Earth primates _ .

 


	4. Function

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bobby's nervous.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fictober prompt: "No worries, we still have time."

Chloe threaded her fingers through his. Bobby’s hand was warm and rough, covered in bumps and scars. She smiled up at him, and he grinned nervously, upper lip pulling away to reveal his big braces.

 

He looked...handsome, she thought. As handsome as he could be. She'd finally found a suit that fit his enormous frame, and, after much coaxing, he let her brush through that unruly mane of his. It was tied up neatly, the long tail draping down his back.

 

His grip was loose, which meant he was anxious. She squeezed his hand.

 

“No worries,” she said. “We still have time. We don't have to go yet.” He gazed at her with a grateful look in his eye. Yearning. 

 

She knew he hated events like this, but this was an important Psychonauts function. She wanted him to be with her. He needed to get out of the house. They'd had this conversation days prior, again and again. Of course, he conceded every time, and she almost felt bad. She had to remind him that his opinion mattered too, just that she wanted him to be part of something.

 

She knew he'd do it. He always came through for her.

 

Always.


	5. Incessant

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Vernon won't shut up (again).

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fictober prompt: “I heard enough. This ends now.”

Chloe put her hand out, though Vernon didn't stop talking.

“I've heard enough,” she said. “This incessant babbling ends now.” The boy kept going on about his dog, regardless, which made her want to drag her hands down her face.

“Vernon,” she said sternly. He finally seemed to take notice and blinked.

“What?”

“I am not interested in this story about your canine. Please be quiet.”

“Oh, but I didn't even get to the part where Lady trashed a gas station--”

Chloe decided relinquishing the TV room to Vernon was better than having to listen to this. She wiggled out of the bean bag chair and left, all the while Vernon droned on, as if he hadn't noticed.

Perhaps he liked the sound of his own voice.


	6. Unwelcome

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fictober prompt: “You shouldn't have come here.”

The door to the warehouse had been kicked open, knocking Chloe back onto her haunches. When her head stopped spinning from the impact, she recognized the man in the bloodied smock standing before her. She took a deep breath and held it, a chill running down her spine.

“Well, well…” the old man said, his voice creaking unpleasantly. “You shouldn't have come here, girlie.” It was the doctor who'd stolen her brain from her all those years ago. His grin stretched across his face so unnaturally, wrinkles bunching up at the corners of his mouth. He took a step, but she couldn't move. She was frozen, rooted to the spot. She clenched her fists, her fingernails digging into the gravel underneath her. She narrowed her eyes slowly.

“Where is he?”

The mad doctor simply cackled.

If Bobby were with her, he'd know what to do… Or at least, that's what she liked to think.


	7. Insincere

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fictober prompt: "Will that be all?"
> 
> Kitty offers some advice.

Over the horizon, the sun started to dip. Chloe sat by the lodge, her legs hanging over the edge of the boardwalk. She sipped from a small juice box and pondered whether she'd turn in early tonight or try to tamper with the satellite antenna on the roof again. Her efforts thus far seemed to do little. Whatever the old hunk of junk was made of wasn't quite enough, and she didn't have many materials to work with.

 

Not to mention the old man kept barking at her to quit fiddling with it--interrupting his shows, he said. She wondered what went on in that oddly-shaped head of his. One time she’d been near the GPC, testing a model craft, when he'd shouted, shaking his rake at her, “Git down from there!” 

 

Chloe had complied, not wanting to anger him further. Later, he seemed to completely forget it ever happened. She saw him absent-mindedly tending to a pile of leaves. When she climbed up on the rock again, he said nothing, or maybe he didn't notice.

 

She sighed, shaking her head. She'd met a lot of peculiar humans at this camp; a few she suspected were aliens like her.

 

The sound of footsteps behind her interrupted her thoughts. She twisted around to see red shoes and colorful socks. Looking up, she saw the similarly extravagant, painted face of one Kitty Bubai.

 

“Hi, Chloe,” she said icily, smiling. Plastered on, it didn’t quite reach her eyes; it was more of a sneer.  She unfolded her arms to put her hands on her hips. 

 

“I heard you and Bobby hooked up.”

  
  
Chloe met her gaze and felt something. She wasn't unnerved, not scared of a flashy bully. But there was something in her eyes that seemed compelling.

 

She tilted her head back subconsciously, as if to pull away. 

 

Kitty’s smile sharpened. She leaned down as if to whisper something, her hand raised as if to prevent the sound from reaching unwanted ears.

 

“You know, I wanted to warn you: he might have diseases,” she said, her tone sweeter than the syrup in the popsicles Mr. Cruller handed out. Her smile kept its firm edge. “Girlfriend to girlfriend.” She slowly leaned back and Chloe felt something like a weight being lifted off of her, as if Kitty’s presence had an invisible, pressing aura.

 

“Yes, that I am aware of,” she said, clearing her throat. “It's why I have tried to keep him isolated with me. Extraterrestrial microorganisms are a concern.”

 

Kitty looked off into the distance, seeming more interested in the setting sun than what Chloe was saying. There was a pause, and Chloe shifted in her seat.

 

“Will that be all?” she asked, but Kitty didn't give her so much as a glance as she flung her scarf over her shoulder and strut her way down the boardwalk. Chloe watched her go, raising an eyebrow.

 

She went to take another sip but found the box empty. She squished it between her hands.

 

A wooden board creaked behind her.

 

She turned again and saw Franke this time, whose complexion was even pinker than usual. She seemed to be in a daze, her lips red. The sunset seemed to take her notice, too, as she stared past Chloe completely. 

 

_ Puzzling. _

 

A glimmer of neon green caught Chloe's eye. Franke finally realized she was being watched, slapping a hand over the spot on her neck.

 

“Wh-What’re you looking at? Geek!” The sheer offense she took felt mildly comical to Chloe. She took off after Kitty, stumbling once and scuffing her shoes noisily.

 

Chloe smiled a little to herself.

 

_ Never a dull moment, at least. _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Man, this one took way too long to put together. :') Special thanks to my friend and sincerelymendacious (on AO3 and fanfiction.net!) for beta-reading this and helping me revise it.
> 
> Feedback and criticism is encouraged and appreciated.


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